Vegetable Samosa Pie

I love samosas. This pie gives you all the flavour without the fiddle of making individual samosas. It's great hot or cold too. This is my version of recipe from a Sainsbury's magazine that I've been hoarding since May 2002! I've reduced the amounts of oil and butter and simplified the method of working. The list of ingredients looks long, but that's due to the number of spices in this recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 pie

Ingredients

• 18  ounces new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small chunks
• 12  ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1  large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons  sunflower oil
• 1  teaspoon cumin seed
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon ground coriander
• 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
•  hot pepper sauce (a few drops, to taste)
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  mild green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1  inch  piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 5  ounces peas (fresh or frozen)
• 4  tablespoons fresh coriander, leaf roughly chopped
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 2  eggs, lightly beaten
• 2  ounces butter
• 1 (270 g) package phyllo pastry
• 1  teaspoon sesame seeds
•  salt (to taste)
• 3  tablespoons water

Directions

1. Cook the new potatoes in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, add the sweet potatoes and continue cooking until just tender (about 5 minutes); drain and leave to cool.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until they start to brown; add the cumin seeds, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and drops of hot pepper sauce; stir well then mix in the garlic, chilies and ginger.
3. Add the peas and water to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes; add the new and sweet potatoes, crushing them slightly as you mix them in; stir in the fresh coriander and lemon juice, check seasoning and add salt if required.
4. Remove pan from the heat, leave to cool slightly then mix in all but 1 tbsp of beaten egg.
5. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5; melt the butter and mix in the remaining 1/2 tbsp of oil; brush a 9inch deep sided loose-bottomed tin with a little of the butter/oil mixture.
6. Reserving enough phyllo pastry to cover the top of the pie when filled, line the bottom and sides of the tin with sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each one with the butter mixture and arranging them at different angles across the base of the tin to create a leak proof shell; spoon in the samosa filling, packing it down evenly; cover the pie with remaining phyllo, sealing over all edges of the phyllo shell.
7. Brush the top of the pie with any remaining butter mixture and beaten egg, sprinkle over the sesame seeds; bake for 40-50 minutes until well browned.
8. Allow the pie to cool slightly in its tin before serving. This is good served with cucumber raita, mango chutney and salad.